From the Des Moines Register (http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050304/BUSINESS04/503040376/1029/BUSINESS) .

A national group of Christian lawyers is appealing to church leaders to join them in lobbying against the bankruptcy reform bill introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Ia.

The lawyers say the legislation runs contrary to the forgiveness of debt and charity required by the Bible.

"As Christian attorneys, we strongly believe that it was never God's intention to create a society where indebtedness was a crime or a badge of dishonor," Christian members of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys wrote in a letter sent Feb. 26 to hundreds of church leaders across the nation.


The bill, which is receiving Senate debate, would make it harder for most people to receive full debt cancellation under Chapter 7 of the bankruptcy laws. More people would have to repay at least part of their debt, based on income.

The lawyers note that in the Old Testament, God did not outlaw borrowing and lending, but provided that loans would become discharged every seven years.

In response, Grassley said Congress could not be bound by biblical mandates because "the Constitution does not provide for a theocracy."

"I can't listen to Christian lawyers because I would be imposing the Bible on a diverse population," Grassley said. "I'll bet those lawyers wouldn't want us to impose the principles of forgiving debt every seven years. If that were the law, nobody would loan them money."


He can't listen to Christians when it comes to giving obscene handouts to credit card companies and screwing over the poor. Only "moral issues" need the Christian stamp of approval.

I may not be a Christian but something tells me that you folks are getting a raw deal from the GOP.

that is dumb for them to thump the bible like that.... The way they present themselves is so unkind and unforgiving, which is not how God expresses his love. These guys are just putting themselves up on a platform, when Christianity is all about accepting and loving.....

Idioteque,

So you are saying that because these people are Christians, they should forgive people that have debts against them?

Your name is fitting.

Thanks for sharing that stupid article. I can't believe the residents of Des Moines would actually pay for a paper that published articles that are so fucking retarded.

So you are saying that because these people are Christians, they should forgive people that have debts against them?
Well if they actually want to follow the laws of god and not sin...

Originally posted by Karankawa
Idioteque,

So you are saying that because these people are Christians, they should forgive people that have debts against them?

Your name is fitting.

Thanks for sharing that stupid article. I can't believe the residents of Des Moines would actually pay for a paper that published articles that are so fucking retarded.
I think Idioteque's main thrust was more that Grassley's being a bit of a hypocrite because:

In response, Grassley said Congress could not be bound by biblical mandates because "the Constitution does not provide for a theocracy."

That runs contrary to his opinions on thing such as, say, gay marriage. I seriously doubt Idioteque is faulting Christians for not forgiving debts every seven years.

Nah, he's saying that the GOP isn't being "Christian" because Grassley is trying to clamp down on bankruptcy. I guess the get out of jail free card bothers Grassley. I dunno, I think it sounds a alittle overpowered myself. I don't see how it can be called "un-Christian" to not forgive debts. I would call it financial suicide.

Originally posted by Karankawa
Nah, he's saying that the GOP isn't being "Christian" because Grassley is trying to clamp down on bankruptcy.
Then why, in the quote of the article, did he emphasize the two lines he did, which happen to have nothing to do with what you just said?

I am against the bankruptcy bill because I believe that it sets unreasonable limits on working people while giving handouts to credit card companies that don't deserve them. I'm not calling Chuck Grassley Un-Christian. What I am saying, however, is that Republicans have no problem using religion to push morality laws on people that don't want them, yet when it comes to stuff like this, they hide behind the seperation of church and state.

You find one individual example and you label the entire party. Of course, everyone here knows that you can play this game with both parties and use example after example after example. Apparently, you can't see past your nose to see that though.

I have no idea why I'm even wasting my time talking to you. I guess I'm hoping against hope that maybe someday you're realize that if you look for hypocrisy, you'll find it.

Of all the hypocrisies that exist in politics, this is an extremely weak example. You're picking on a guy who is anti-gay marriage and is trying to make bankruptcy a tougher option to take, and you're calling him a hypocrite. Weak.